During walking or running, the feet, leg joints, and lower back have to withstand tremendous amounts of forces acting on them with every stride. The weight acting on the feet, leg joints, and lower back can average between 2 and 5 times the body weight depending on the speed and other factors. While cushioning in the sole and heel area in the current models of shoes achieve softer landing, the impact forces travelling back into the bone structure are still substantial and accumulate with every stride. The negative effects of these impact forces on the body is a significant reason why people with back trouble and knee pain experience more pain after walking or running.
Current footwear use shock absorbing materials and components that are embedded inside the shoe sole or under the sole externally. While this may provide certain energy deflecting capabilities, the impact force reduction to the user is not adequately achieved.
Accordingly, there remains a need for new shock-absorbing footwear and devices which are capable of reducing the applied forces and impact on the body. Additionally, the shock-absorbing footwear and devices should be versatile enough to attach to existing footwear and be adjustable for different users. This need and other needs are satisfied by the various aspects of the present disclosure.